Whether prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal registers the constitution amendment bill or not, the government is headed to face a major turbulence

Although the heated politics looks cooling off following the decision of prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachnda and Nepali Congress to hold the constitution amendment bill for further consultations, a new political equation is emerging in the horizon as well.

Just a week after the unification of two RPPs, former prime minister and leader of Naya Shakti Dr. Baburam Bhattarai and United Democratic Madheshi Front Upendra Yadav issued a joint statement calling for a meaningful amendment bill. These two political developments indicate that something is cooking beneath the ground, which would have far-reaching consequences in the political front.

With the decision of two major parties the hold the amendment bill, CPN-UML leader and former prime minister K.P.Sharma Oli is likely to project himself as a winner in the current political drama.

As a new political scenario emerges between CPN-UML and Maoist Center, suspended chief of Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority is likely to be a beneficiary as the fate of his impeachment motion is uncertain.

Prime minister Dahal has been repeatedly saying that there is the need of consensus among three major political parties to address all the constitutional and political problems faced by the country, indicating that amendment of constitution and impeachment are inseparable.

As CPN-UML leadership including K.P. Sharma Oli’s priority is to pass impeachment motion against Karki, Maoist center leader and prime minister Dahal who backed the UML’s motion wants reciprocal role on his proposal for the amendment of constitution.

Given the present political deadlock, nothing is likely to move. “The country is at a political crossroads. If we are unable to solve the political and constitutional crisis, there will be a major political disaster with the likely scenario of reversal of present change,” said prime minister Dahal, addressing the convocation program at Kathmandu University. “Rigidity will create more political problems. I am flexible because I want to settle the current political crisis and hold the elections.”

Prime minister Prachanda was reacting to the rigid stand taken by main opposition CPN-UML after the CPN-UML leader and vice president of the party Bhim Rawal accused Prachanda as a betrayer to the nation.

“Prime minister Prachanda and Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba are the betrayers of the nation as they are proposing the amendment bill as per the wishes of India,” accused former deputy prime minister Bhim Rawal. The provocative remarks of UML leader Rawal have pushed the relations between the two communist parties on the verge of collapse.

As the relations between the two communist parties, Maoist Center and CPN-UML, which had patched their differences while registering the joint impeachment motion against CIAA chief Karki, are souring, the ruling Nepali Congress has decided to hold further discussions on the purported constitution amendment in a bid to find maximum consensus for the same.

“Our party has decided to hold talks with various political actors including the main opposition CPN-UML and Madhes-centric forces,” said deputy prime minister and home minister Bimlendra Nidhi. "As per out three-point agreement with Madheshi Front, the government will register the amendment bill.”

According to him, amendments would be sought in provisions related to boundaries of the provinces, structure of the National Assembly, marital naturalized citizenship and recognition of languages.

With the decision of government to hold the constitution amendment bill, Madheshi leaders have already expressed their anguish. “This is sheer negligence of the ruling parties and they have to pay the price for it,” said Uprendra Yadav, leader of Madheshi front.

As politics is polarized so deeply and different factions are waiting to take revenge against each other, a new round of political confrontation is likely to push the country into further uncertainty.